Top-seeded Louisville hopes home court provides tourney edge
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) Louisville hopes home court gives the Cardinals an advantage and helps them advance.
If they are victorious this weekend, Louisville would have a short trip to make in the next round of the tourney in what it hopes is a march the Final Four.
Louisville (32-2) is a No. 1 seed for the first time in school history and will open the tournament Friday against No. 16 seed Boise State (23-9) while No. 8 seed Marquette (23-9) takes on No. 9 seed Dayton (23-6).
Two victories in Louisville will send the Cardinals 80 miles east to next weekend's regional in Lexington, Kentucky.
But the Cardinals say they are not looking past Boise State.
''We have to win the first game to get to the next game, so you can never overlook anybody,'' junior guard Arica Carter said Thursday.
Cardinals coach Jeff Walz agrees, saying beating the Broncos is Louisville's immediate concern.
''We will not look past'' Friday,'' Walz said, ''and if something happens and if we lose, I promise you, it's not because we didn't have respect for Boise State because we do.''
There's certainly respect for Louisville's home dominance.
The Cardinals are 16-1 at the KFC Yum! Center, with their lone loss coming in January against Florida State to end a 20-0 start. The Cardinals enter this time on a seven-game roll - including three wins to claim their first Atlantic Coast Conference tournament title - and looking to extending it in pursuit of their first Final Four since 2013.
Their challenge is halting a Boise State team that has won 10 straight and claimed its second consecutive Mountain West championship.
Though smaller than Louisville, the Broncos' average of 38 rebounds per contest matches the Cardinals. They've allowed 57 points per outing during their run but must slow a team scoring nearly 20 points higher.
''I think we just need to be who we are and play how we play,'' said Broncos forward Shalen Shaw, ''and I think that some good things will happen for us.''
If Louisville does get past Boise State, the Cardinals have history with Marquette and Dayton. They are 15-9 against the Golden Eagles and 8-7 versus the Flyers, including a 2015 Sweet 16 loss.
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Other things to watch in Friday's first-round games:
SUPPORT SYSTEM: Louisville junior guard and ACC Player of the Year Asia Durr struggled in the conference tournament, averaging 12.3 points on 28 percent shooting in three games. Teammates aren't concerned because contributes in other areas. ''She's never caught up in how many points she scored,'' forward Myisha Hines-Allen said. ''It's about us first and she wants the team to be successful. Whatever she has to do, she'll do it for us.''
EARLY START: Boise State barely adjusted to Daylight Savings Time before heading east for a contest that will tip off at 10 a.m. Mountain time. ''We felt like we lost a whole day coming here,'' said guard Riley Lupfer, adding that the travel denied guard Ellie Woerner a chance to celebrate turning 21 on Wednesday. ''We were on a plane most of it and we were like, Ellie, you kind of missed your whole 21st birthday. That kind of (stinks). Otherwise, I think we handled it pretty well.''
DAYTON'S DEFENSE: The Flyers have won 17 of 19 and enter the NCAA ranked in top 15 in several defensive categories, including third in rebounds (31 per game) and field goal percentage (35.3). Five-foot-11 senior forward and Louisville native JaVonna Layfield ranks fourth in Division I with 12.9 rebounds per contest and third in defensive boards with 10 per outing. ''I just found my niche, just be the best I can,'' Layfield said of her performance.
ENCORE: Marquette is making consecutive NCAA appearances for the first time since a 1997-2000 run and seeks its first tournament win since 2011. The Golden Eagles had won eight in a row and clinched the Big East Conference regular season title before losing tournament final 98-63 to DePaul. Junior guard and Big East Player of the Year Allazia Blockton (18.7 points per game) leads five starters averaging at least 11.5 points per outing.
